


Sleep Aids

by fuzipenguin



Series: Half Your Age +7 [25]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, Older!Twins, Twincest, younger!ratchet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 08:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16489340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzipenguin/pseuds/fuzipenguin
Summary: Sideswipe has a problem.





	Sleep Aids

                The knock on the door came about two hours into beta shift and about an hour after Ratchet had fallen asleep. He was used to recharging lightly in case an emergency came in or a patient deteriorated. But he wasn’t in the MedBay; he was in his own quarters and most definitely off shift.

                Under Wheeljack’s influence, he had gotten a lot better about ensuring he rested when he could. In fact, he had gotten so used to doing so that he now he snarled and grumbled when he was called in outside of his regularly scheduled shift.

                As such, he was not exactly pleased to be jerked awake at this hour. Especially when whomever was at the door probably wasn’t even there for him. It wasn’t like he had routine visitors. The only person who had ever visited him, _lived_ with him now for Primus’ sake!

                Ratchet snuggled back down onto his berth mattress and willed the person to go away. Just when he thought that they had, another knock came. Engine revving in irritation, he rolled back over.

                “Wheeljack,” he called out. “It’s for you. Wheeljack!”

                Wheeljack had some science types who occasionally came and dragged him away for a stint in the labs. He was about due to be kidnapped again.

                The blanket covered lump of his best friend didn’t move in the slightest and his vents continued in their slow and steady manner without a pause.

                “ _Wheel_ …oh, never mind,” Ratchet grumbled. “I’ll just get it.”

                He threw off his covers in a fit of pique and got to his feet. He debated turning the lights on and eventually decided not to. It wasn’t Wheeljack’s fault he was a deep sleeper. Or that he had weird friends.

                As Ratchet shuffled over to the door the visitor knocked yet again, the sound more impatient than the first two tentative raps. Ratchet threw up his hands in exasperation.

                “Primus, I’m coming already!” he exclaimed, yanking the door open. “What?!”

                Oh… that’s right. Before Wheeljack, his only other visitors had been Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. It made sense that Sideswipe wouldn’t have been able to resist tracking Ratchet down. It had been two whole days, after all.

                “Heeey, Cuteness…” Sideswipe said hesitantly, having flinched back a little at Ratchet’s outburst. “Did I wake you?”

                No matter how much Ratchet had missed him, an interrupted recharge made Ratchet cranky and he was just about to snap out something biting when Sideswipe’s posture finally registered. His shoulders were hunched forward, fingers twisting together like he was nervous. And somehow, Sideswipe looked more tired than when he had first arrived.

                “Yes, but it’s fine,” Ratchet said, waving a hand through the air. “Never mind that, what’s wrong? What’s going on? You look exhausted.”

                He didn’t see anything on an immediate surface scan, which reassured him a little. But those dim optics and the slight rasp to Sideswipe’s vents made Ratchet much more alert.

                 “I… uh… yeah… I’m pretty tired,” Sideswipe admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish.

                 “Well, then… _sleep,”_ Ratchet replied, some of his original irritation returning. “You don’t need to come to _me_ for a sleep aid; the other medics are perfectly capable of giving you some.”

                 “No, that’s… those never work,” Sideswipe said, shaking his head. “We’ve tried, but our systems just burn through them in minutes. And it’s more than that anyway… we’re _twins_.”

                 “I am aware of that, Sideswipe,” Ratchet replied dryly. “What does that have to do with recharging?”

                 “Well, _you_ try sleeping alone after recharging your whole entire life since unfurling next to your twin!” Sideswipe snapped, surprising Ratchet. He couldn’t remember Sideswipe ever raising his voice like that, unless it was on the battlefield.

                 “I’m sorry,” Sideswipe said after a sparkbeat, his optic shutters squeezing shut for a moment before reopening. “I didn’t mean to yell… I’m just… I can’t sleep unless I’m with _someone_. If I can sense their spark… then I can get at least a few hours. Most people are up for a quick ‘face and then letting me stay after. But I’ve been without Sunny for so long that I’m starting to get twitchy around strangers and you’re the only person I know on base and I would never ask you to ‘face me, not without Sunny, but I didn’t know if maybe you would be ok if I recharged here, even if it was just on the floor?”

                Sideswipe’s words tumbled over themselves, coming out and faster and faster until the last few were high pitched and faint.

                All Ratchet could do for several seconds was stare. Every time he thought he knew everything there was to know about split-spark twins…

                “Sideswipe…” Ratchet said slowly, noting a fine shake in the other mech’s fingers. “Sideswipe, how long has it been since you’ve gotten a full recharge?”

                “A _full_ recharge?” Sideswipe rubbed the back of his neck again. “Um… well, Sunny and I were separated about seven months ago… so then? Usually I’ll sleep about two hours or so if I’m with someone else, which is fine, my systems are used to that being out in the field so much, but…”

                Ratchet made a strangled sound and Sideswipe trailed off, looking at him warily.

                “Seven months?! Get in here. Right now, come on!” Ratchet instructed, grabbing Sideswipe’s arm. Sideswipe didn’t resist being dragged through the doorway and he docilely followed Ratchet across the room as Ratchet remotely pulled up the lights to a dim setting.  

                Halfway to his berth, Ratchet noticed Wheeljack sitting up, looking at them sleepily. “Ratchet?” he asked, blinking in confusion at Sideswipe.

                “Sideswipe, this is Wheeljack. Wheeljack, this is Sideswipe. He’s a split spark who can only recharge if he’s next to someone else and able to sense their spark. And the more familiar he is with the person, the better. So…” Ratchet trailed off, thinking that this was not exactly the way he had envisioned two of the most important people in his life meeting.

                “Makes sense,” Wheeljack said, his gaze sharpening as he looked Sideswipe over. Sideswipe didn’t seem to care that Ratchet had just handed out potentially sensitive medical information, apparently trusting Wheeljack as Ratchet did. “Hey.”

                Sideswipe weakly waved at him and then he straightened up suddenly. “Oh, hey – you’re the guy that made those flash-bang grenades! I love those – saved my aft tons of times!”

                Wheeljack’s helm fins blinked a blushing pink and he ducked his head, peering up at Sideswipe through lowered optic shutters. “Glad to hear it! Have you had a chance to use the iron taggers? I made those for…”

                “All right!” Ratchet announced before things could get too far. He grabbed Sideswipe by the shoulders and steered him away. “You can discuss weapons of mayhem after you’ve slept.”

                “Oh, yeah, right. Nice to meet you!” Sideswipe called out over his shoulder. Wheeljack waved at him, gaze sliding over to Ratchet as soon as Sideswipe had his back turned.

                Ratchet mouthed ‘it’s fine’ to him and Wheeljack nodded. He wormed his way back under his covers and rolled over, probably slipping back into recharge in seconds. Wheeljack had always been lucky that way. And trusting. If Ratchet said things were fine, then things were fine and he didn’t have to worry about being murdered in his sleep.

                “All right, get in.” Ratchet gestured towards his berth.

                Sideswipe looked down at the bed and then back up at Ratchet, biting his lower lip. “Um… could I be on the outside?” he asked hesitantly.

                Ratchet rolled his optics, but crawled back under his blanket and held out the corner of it in invitation. Sideswipe slowly lowered himself to the berth, looking a little stunned. He laid down on his side, facing the room, and Ratchet wondered if it had something to do with being a warrior.

                “Good?” Ratchet asked, lowering his voice in deference to his roommate. He remotely s witched off the overhead light and dragged the blanket up around Sideswipe’s shoulders.

                “Yeah…” Sideswipe trailed off, squirming around to get comfortable. “You’ve got a mattress. Guess we converted you, huh?”

                The twins’ berth in the old base had had one too. When he had been sick and they had taken care of him, it had felt like laying on a cloud. So yes, they had definitely converted him to this one bit of indulgence.

                “It’s comfortable,” Ratchet replied, staring at the tense line of Sideswipe’s back. He had thought Sideswipe would relax as soon as he hit the berth, but apparently he was still fighting the ‘twitchines’.   

                Hoping he wouldn’t get punched or shot, Ratchet scooted across the space between them and threw his arm over Sideswipe’s waist. Using what he remembered about Sideswipe’s particular frame type, Ratchet slid down a little and lined up their sparks. Then he pressed as close as he could.

                Sideswipe stiffened at the touch and then he abruptly went limp with a full body shudder. “Ratchet…” he said faintly.

                “This position should allow your spark to sense mine as best as it can with armor between them,” Ratchet said matter-of-factly. “And you _know_ me, so I expect you to get a little better than two hours recharge.”

                Sideswipe slowly gripped Ratchet’s forearm, gently giving it a squeeze.

                “Ok. I’ll try,” Sideswipe said, his quiet tone ringing with gratitude.

 

-

 

                Sideswipe and Ratchet both ended up sleeping ten hours straight and nearly missed the start of their next shifts. Ratchet thought it worth it to see Sideswipe with a spring to his step and a brightness to his optics Ratchet had sorely missed.

 

~ End


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